Agriculture

Renewed local interest in organic and locally produced food has inspired a renaissance in local agriculture. With more of the population paying more attention to where food comes from, the agriculture sector is strengthening, including vineyards, food crops, livestock, markets, farm sales, and food manufacturing. The agriculture, winery, and culinary sectors have also become fast-growing tourism attractions. Farming jobs in Greater Victoria increased by 30 per cent from 2001 to 2006, compared to growth of five per cent provincially and a decline of one per cent in Metro Vancouver.

The number of farms in Greater Victoria and their gross receipts grew between 2000 and 2005, and relative to the provincial totals, Greater Victoria's share of land under cultivation was stable between 2000 and 2005. With only 0.8 per cent of the land under cultivation, yet 2.2 per cent of the gross receipts, Greater Victoria's agricultural products have higher values than the B.C. average.

See more information in our latest newsletter.